Creation: The Path of a God (Updated Edition)

Chapter 5 -- Part 6 (Book 1 - Fantasy World)

Han's eyes were drawn to the Tower that stretched towards the heavens as though the people who walked on the ground were hoping to build a bridge and reunite with the gods above. Despite his own ability, he couldn't help but find himself drawn to it as though appreciating another artist's work while making his way through a gallery. Though the sheer scale of the Tower was immense and dominated much of his thoughts, a curiosity slowly blossomed in his mind.

A slight crack in his lips made him glad he had chosen to visit Illumin.

As his gaze lowered slowly, he blinked, noticing quite a number of buildings despite their insignificant impression compared to the Tower. It was as though they had slowly come into focus due to the Tower's capturing his attention. After taking a few moments to see what was in front of him, it didn't take long before he noticed how all the other structures radiated away from the center. His eyes slowly surveyed each of them, seeing how each was relatively unique, though a few shared a similar appearance.

"This is such a large area," Brittany said, moving away from Han and looking around, a giant smile enhancing her dazzling face.

Even Queen's eyes slightly widened as she cooly observed their surroundings and admired the area.

As the carriage made its way towards the Tower, each of them looked at the scenery. With the gentle breeze and the sun above, seeing the large grassy area was calming to view. Compared to the outside of the wall where the city existed, there wasn't a feeling of being cramped; instead, it was as if they were back outside of Illumin.

On the grass, small groups of students sat and talked to one another, oblivious to the world around them. Even though the carriage passed by, not many looked in their direction, though when they did, they gave a friendly wave. Even as they socialized with one another, it was easy to see that each of them was hard at work, studying to understand the material covered in their classes.

Long winding paths could be seen, allowing students to navigate around the area. Sometimes, a group of students would stop by another group, clearly familiar with the other students. Though there was a seriousness, the natural surroundings created a calming and elegant atmosphere.

Han absorbed the surroundings, enjoying how the area was created to appear as though it wasn't within the borders of the Academy. He even noticed pristine pockets of forests that offered a place to get out of the sun or a passing raincloud. Everything felt serene, even though Illumin was an independent nation bordered by more powerful nations that could easily crush it. Enjoying the environment, he couldn't help but think about the parallels with other nations back on Earth that existed next to potentially hostile ones.

Thinking about Illumin's situation, he thought of the Lady Knight and how she behaved -- imagining the woman being a symbol of strength for the students. Han's thoughts drifted as the carriage continued on the path.

While the Tower in front of them still monopolized the view, Han was distracted from his thoughts as they approached the buildings surrounding the monolith.

"As you can see, compared to the city outside of the Academy or even locations in other kingdoms and empires, the Academy is designed to inspire our students," The guide said to Helania. "The outer area of the grounds, as you can see, is primarily used by students for housing purposes, though my Lord and all of you will be staying in a location nearly next to the Tower. But despite the distance of these buildings, many of the students find that being far from the Tower is not much of a hassle. Nearby the dormitories, we have buildings used for various branches of studies where students will attend their classes."

As the carriage casually traveled on the road and entered the populated area, a considerable number of students were going about their day on either side of the street. One of the most significant differences between the city nearest to Illumin's outer walls and the area inside the Academy's grounds was that everyone going about their day was a student. Everywhere Han looked, students were in their uniforms, only a few not carrying some type of handbag that was likely filled with school supplies.